Help & Advice
Unpacking your new tree: important advice
Please read before unpacking:
Young Eucalyptus are sensitive creatures - please carry only by their pots. Please do not handle the Eucalyptus by the stems or trunks. It tears the roots and then they die.
Care on arrival at their new home:
Unpacking
-
Upon arrival, unpack immediately. If they have been delivered in cardboard boxes, cut any plastic strapping with scissors and remove.
-
Resist the urge to open the top of the box! Lay the box on its side and open the base of the box and slide the tree out pot first. With a very tall tree, it is not unusual for us to curl the very top of the tree round in the top of the box, as they are very flexible. The tip will straighten up quickly by itself.
-
Water by plunging the entire pot into a bucket for about 30 seconds and then leave to drain.
-
Stand outdoors in a light airey spot, sheltered from winds.
-
Keep watered until planted - they need to be kept heavy. This is everyday in the summer.
-
Never leave standing in water. The roots will drown.
-
Never allow the Air-Pot containers to dry out, the trees are certain to go brown and crispy. Keep a full bucket of water close by so you can plunge the pot as required.
-
If conditions are frosty, move to a very well ventilated tunnel or greenhouse until planted
-
Plant as soon as possible!
-
Water your plant every day whilst it is establishing new roots, especially on hot or windy days. See After Care - Watering below.
Planting in the ground is a little bit different from the usual method
For each tree you will need:-
-
Your Hardy-Eucalyptus Tree (based on a 3 or 5 litre tree)
-
A 15 litre (3 gallon) waterproof container to soak the tree
-
At least 10 litres (2 gallons) of clean water
-
1 x sachet of Rootgrow mycorrhizal fungi
-
1 handful of bonemeal
-
20 litres of dry John Innes seed compost OR
-
20 litres of your own very dry garden soil *
-
Sharp sand or grit **
-
Bark or wood chips - for a 3 litre tree or larger you need 70-100 litres of chips per tree
-
A means of supporting your tree & protecting it from wildlife
-
1 x garden spade
-
1 x border or garden fork
-
1 deck chair plus 1 cup of tea or something stronger as required !
* - leave it in the garage/greenhouse for a couple of days to become powdery so it will flow easily to fill the gaps around the rootball N.B. No compost needed
Adjust quantities of soil, fertiliser etc. as appropriate to the pot size of your tree. Scale down food and mulch when planting a 1 litre Eucalyptus
** If you have heavy clay soil—mix thoroughly with 2 litres (10% by volume) of very sharp sand or 1/4 inch grit. Never use builders or silver sand.
Tree Support
Your Eucalyptus may not require support of any kind. It all depends on its growing environment. These trees need a little bit of movement to encourage them to root down properly. It’s a bit like us needing to eat apples to stop our teeth falling out!
Choose the appropriate method from our guide below.
1 litre pot, short tree- does not require any support unless it is the very relaxed Eucalyptus lacrimans, in which case it will require a stout bamboo cane.
1 litre pot, tall tree (over 90 cm tall) - stout bamboo cane slightly shorter than the tree, with arrow shaped cane cap (important to protect the tree trunk from chafing), but only required in windy locations. Remove the cane by the following Autumn.
3, 5, or 9 litre pot, short tree - no support may be necessary in sheltered locations. You can leave in the transport cane for one year only (remove it by the following Autumn), but shorten to below the top of the tree and re-instate arrow-shaped cane cap (important to protect the tree trunk from chafing, which can be fatal)
3, 5, or 9 litre pot, tall tree (over 90 cm tall) - You can leave in the transport cane for one year only (remove it by the following Autumn), but shorten to below the top of the tree and re-instate arrow cane cap (important to protect the tree trunk from chafing, which can be fatal). It is important to ensure that the tree establishes without suffering root rock, which can lead to socketing and also tearing of the rootplate. This will result in failure to establish well and possibly a slow lingering death. In windy areas, knock a short cross stake into the ground at a 45 degree angle to the normal, avoiding puncturing the rootball. Ensure the tree is blown away from the stake and not on to it, by the prevailing wind. Secure the tree to the stake using soft hessian ‘ribbon’ or in an emergency...ladies’ tights. Do not use tree belts, they chafe the periderm, which can be fatal...I said they were sensitive creatures! You can also use the ‘H’ section tree support method instead of a cross stake.
12.5L and larger pot sizes - light standards etc. - You can leave in the transport cane for one year only (remove it by the following Autumn), but shorten to well below the top of the tree and re-instate arrow cane cap (important to protect the tree trunk from chafing, which can be fatal). It is important to ensure that the tree establishes with out suffering root rock, which can lead to socketing and also tearing of the rootplate. This will result in failure to establish well and possibly a slow lingering death. To prevent root rock, support the tree with an ‘H’ section of timbers (100 mm face half round rails screwed together). The structure needs to be knocked into the ground to a depth of around 450-600 mm and protrude above ground by the same amount. Avoid puncturing the root ball - a seriously bad thing to do with Eucs. Secure the tree to the stake using soft hessian ‘ribbon’ or in an emergency...ladies’ tights. Do not use tree belts, they chafe the periderm, which can be fatal...I said they were sensitive creatures!
20 litre and larger pots, large and heavy duty trees - follow above for 12.5L and larger trees, but in exposed areas you may need to deploy something like a Platipus root anchor system and may be a system of guy ropes. In very exposed areas, it may be necessary to reduce the head of the tree at the time of planting, to reduce the ‘wind sail’ effect (the area of leaf presenting to the wind), until such time as the tree is established. It can take 2 strong men to hold a 20 litre Eucalyptus tree vertical in a strong breeze!
Check and loosen all tree ties every Spring and again in July
Caution for all tree sizes:
if you straight-jacket a Eucalyptus to a single, tall standard tree stake or hold it rigid in a triangle of 3 tall tree stakes, it will most likely fall over when the stakes rot. They need to undergo some degree of sway to encourage the roots to anchor down into the soil.
Protection from Wildlife:
Deer, hares and rabbits will all browse Eucalyptus and strip their bark. Eucalyptus glaucescens is the only species that successfully escapes this vandalism.
To protect your trees, encase in chicken wire mesh to the desired height (wildlife height dependent) supported on sturdy tree stakes. The diameter of the circle needs to be no smaller than 450 mm( 18 inches). Alternatively, you will need to ensure that the whole of the Eucalyptus plantation area is wildlife-proofed.
N.B. Avoid using plastic tree shelters and tree guards. Such protective guards can cause winter-resting Eucs to start into growth on warm winter days. This soft leafy material then gets badly singed in subsequent frosty conditions and can be fatal.
Recommended method of planting
1. Prior to beginning work on planting, decide on your chosen method of tree support and protection - have them ready to use.
2. Fill a 10 litre (2 gal) bucket with clean water and soak your tree rootball for 20 minutes. If your Euc has a large pot, use a dustbin and fill with water as required, to cover the top of the pot.
3. Dig a hole 100 mm (4 inches) wider in diameter & deeper than the pot. Then, fork over the bottom of the hole, adding ¼ of the dry soil and sharp sand mix.
4. If the ground is dry-ish, pour one gallon of water into the hole and allow to drain away.
5. Place the tree (still in its pot) into the hole and check the depth is just about right. Adjust accordingly as required. Please bear in mind that there is a recessed base plate in the pot, which will make the rootball appear deeper than it is in reality.
6. Take the plant out of the hole, lie the tree down on its side. Unscrew the top green screw & remove. On a large pot—repeat with the bottom screw & remove. Gently uncurl the pot from around the rootball, taking care not to break any major roots. DO NOT 'loosen up' or destroy the root ball! This will be fatal.
7. Remove the bottom pot disc; the odd peripheral root dropping off at this stage is ok.
8. Check depth of hole a second time, against the rootball. If you have to amend the depth of the hole, cover the rootball with hessian or polythene to avoid dessication. Roots can dry out within minutes on windy days.
9. Install appropriate tree support as best practice.
10. Scatter the recommended amount of rootgrow in the bottom of the planting hole. See sachet for further details. The Eucalyptus roots need to be in contact with the rootgrow powder.
11. Gently place the tree into the centre of the hole such that the root collar (where the trunk joins the roots) is 25 mm (1 inch) below finished ground level.
12. Pat more Rootgrow on to the sides of the root ball.
13. Back fill around the root ball with the dry soil /sand mix. Firm down with your fist (not a size 11 wellie), ensuring there are no air pockets.
14. Water in using the rest of the water.
15. Remove all grass & weed competition in a 900 mm (3 ft) diameter circle around the tree.
16. Scatter the bonemeal over the soil surface after backfilling (not in the planting pit).
17. Dress this area with 150 mm (6 inches) depth of bark chips to protect the roots. This is very important - please do not skimp. Bark acts as a winter root duvet and a summer water conserver.
18. Avoid mounding bark up around the trunk—make it like a Polo mint, with a hole.
19. Speak kind words to your tree and give yourself a pat on the back, before sitting in a deck chair, with a drink, to admire your handiwork.
Tree supported with ‘H’ sections staking, held in place with hessian ribbon. Chicken wire held in place with a sturdy stake to protect against rabbits, hares and Muntjac deer. Note the very deep bark chip mulch.
Aftercare
Watering:
Tailor the quantities of water to your soil type and local rainfall. Sandy soils obviously require more water than soggy clays. Windy weather strips moisture from Eucs and damages the leaves, so newly planted trees will need supplementary watering support during breezy conditions. If the tip of your tree is bent over like a shepherd’s crook (not just casually lolling around) and the leaves are flaccid, your Euc. needs watering. Administer the recommended volumes listed below in one dose.
YEAR 1
Watering:
March, April and May: water only if the spring is dry.
-
1 litre pot size - 2.5 litres (0.5 gallon) per week each.
-
3 to 9 litre pot size - 5 to 10 litres (1 to 2 gallons) per week each.
-
12.5L - 20 litre pot size - 5 to 10 litres (1 to 2 gallons) per week each.
-
30 to 45 litre pot size - 10 to 15 litres (2 to 3 gallons) per week each.
-
100 litre pot size - around 15 to 20 litres (3 to 4 gallons) per week each.
June, July, August and September: this is when Eucs do nearly all of their growing -
they go completely bonkers in August, so ensure maximum water at this time.
-
1 litre pot size - 2.5 litres (0.5 gallon) twice per week each.
-
3 to 9 litre pot size - 5 to 10 litres (1 to 2 gallons) twice per week each.
-
12.5L to 20 litre pot size - 5 to 10 litres (1 to 2 gallons) twice per week each, more if hot & windy.
-
30 to 45 litre pot size - suggest drip/leaky hosepipe irrigation to deliver 10 to 15 litres (2 to 3 gallons) two to three times per week.
-
100 litre pot size - suggest drip /leaky hosepipe irrigation to deliver 15 to 20 litres (3 to 4 gallons) at the rate of two to three times per week.
Set the system to deliver the irrigation to the outside edge of the original rootball.
October to February: if dry, cold and windy only, no water support will be required if very wet or snowing.
-
1 litre pot size - 2.5 litres (0.5 gallon) twice per month.
-
3 to 9 litre pot size - 5 to 10 litres (1 to 2 gallons) twice per month.
-
12.5L to 20 litre pot size - 5 to 10 litres (1 to 2 gallons) twice per month.
-
30 to 45 litre pot size - around 15 litres (3 gallons) twice per month.
-
100 litre pot size - around 20 litres (4 gallons) twice per month.
YEAR 2
It may not be practical to water large scale plantings after year 1, so first class care will need to be given in year 1 to ensure good establishment.
March, April and May: no watering required unless there is a freak drought.
June, July, August and September: half of year 1 rations.
October to February: no watering required.
Weed Control
For your Eucalyptus to be successful, there should be zero competition from grass, weeds or other planting, for the first two years after planting. This is non-negotiable from the tree’s point of view and must be adhered to. If using herbicides for weed control, avoid getting spray drift on to any part of the Euc., including the base of the trunk. It will be fatal as the herbicide can penetrate the young, delicate periderm (like bark, but isnt!).
Mulching
Maintain the 150 mm (6 inches) depth of bark chip mulch in the 900 mm (3 ft) diameter circle around the base of the tree, for a further couple of years, to assist with full establishment.
Plant Food and Supplements
Sulphur chips: There is good evidence that Eucalyptus respond very well to the addition of sulphur chips scattered around the tree prior to mulching. Sulphur helps acidify the soil. This is worth pursuing if you have alkaline soils. Administer every April for the first two years after planting, especially if you are growing the monocalypt section of Euc.s.
This includes Snow gums (E. pauciflora, E. lacrimans and E. gregsoniana), E. stellulata and E. delegatensis.
Purchase sulphur chips from your local garden centre or on line. Always adhere to manufacturers recommendations especially on dosage.
Chelated Iron tonic/ Sequestered Iron
Not as essential as Rootgrow, but chelated iron helps young Euc.s establish in alkaline soils. Worth administering every April for the first two years after planting especially if you are growing Monocalypt section of Euc.s.
This includes Snow gums (E. pauciflora, E. lacrimans and E. gregsoniana), E. stellulata and E. delegatensis.
Purchase chelated iron from your local garden centre or on line. Always adher to manufacturers recommendations especially on dosage.
High potassium (potash) feeds
The K in the NPK ratio. Administer in August for the first couple of years after planting. Potassium helps young Euc.s to ripen their wood; to harden up all that quickly produced springy wood, prior to the onset of winter. Ripe wood is hardier and therefore more resistant to damage by frosts and cold biting winds.
High Nitrogen foods
Dont go there! Its the horticultural equivalent of crack cocaine. It will make your Euc. hyperactive, ill and then it will fall over! Nitrogen encourages sappy growth which is prone to frost damage.
Pruning
Many of our trees are sent out with lower side branches; these are called feathers. Please resist the urge to tidy these up by pruning them off; they are important as they feed into the trunk and build stem collaterel. Premature removal of feathers weakens the trunk. When your tree has had enough of them, they will turn brown and stick-like and drop off....thats when you can prune them off!
As a matter of good practice, remove any odd branches that are damaged, by cutting back cleanly to healthy material.
For advice on shaping your standard tree, pollarded or coppiced stock, firewood production, hedge-screen or multi-stem, please refer to our website for further information. For cut foliage production, refer to our specific growers manual.
Spotty Leaves
Every year, in the spring, your Eucalyptus will under go a change of foliage. The old leaves will be shed and new foliage produced. To do this, the tree sucks out all the stored nutrients in the old leaves, held on the lower part of the young tree. These go spotty, get black spots, turn beige/biscuit/red/yellow/brown or all of this and then drop off. This is completely normal. Lower branchlets may go brown and sticky, at which point you can cut them off.